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Revolution Season Premiere Review: “Born In The U.S.A.” (Season 2, Episode 1)

When we last checked in with Revolution at the end of season one, it looked like there was a clear cut path to saving the world, albeit paved in broken glass. There was never a moment over the course of the last few months when I even momentarily assumed we'd return to find 'epic failure' stamped in thick black letters all over that mission. The idea of a nuclear weapon actually hitting the epicenter of government activity in both the Monroe Republic and the Georgian Federation never crossed into my realm of possibilities. Myles (Billy Burke) always beats the odds, why would this time be any different? And, it only took the first five minutes of this season to shatter all those beliefs.

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Everyone is taking the guilt of not saving the day in their own way. Myles, Rachel, and Aaron (Zak Orth) are holed up in a Texan town where the situation isn’t quite as picturesque as when they arrived. The mental stress of being in the minority that know the actual string of events that took place concerning the power is definitely going to effect the upcoming season.Everyone is experiencing mental fatigue, and considering that the number of problems that need to be solved using intelligence and finesse, as opposed to brawn and metal, are about neck-and-neck – this is not something positive.

Unexplainable natural events are keeping Aaron up at night, despite the comfort of his new lady friend. Is it just me or did those fire flies resemble something out of a Hitchcock film? Hitchcock did always have a thing for utilizing the color green. The biggest concern Rachel had was that they might be setting the world on fire if they turned the power back on, but those concerns seem marginal when you look as what is happening behind the scenes. Aaron died, but he’s not dead. Is this a sign of pending doom, or just a result of the proximity to where the nuclear warheads were released from? It’s usually a safe bet to assume that something bad is coming – it always does.

For the immediate future, at least, Myles will be the guest of a super creepy cult leader after he found himself on the losing end of a fight. Myles is really on a downward trend lately. Between not being able to save Nora (Daniella Alonso) or stop the missiles, and Rachel’s mental state, this cannot be good for his self-esteem. Parading around as “Stew” was a great way to fly below the radar (barring any unexpected arrivals from his past) but if he had been less concerned with self-preservation and more concerned with those around him, then he might have avoided what is sure to be a very uncomfortable stay.

On top of that, Myles out of all the characters will probably have the strongest reaction when he discovers the U.S. government is back. Before the blackout, Myles was a soldier in the armed forces. He took a vow to protect the country from disaster and he essentially disregarded it once communication lagged. Instead, Myles and Monroe started a new country in the wake of disaster and decimated “patriots” that stood in their way. Will he be expected to fall back in line now that he Commander and Chief has been resurrected?

Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), on the other hand, has taken a different approach to dealing with her emotions. She decided that the best option wasn’t to hide behind walls and pretend to be safe. Instead, she has went on her own revenge mission. Sebastian Monroe (David Lyons) might not be running a republic any longer, but that doesn’t mean he’s absolved of the consequences of his crimes. If he expects to escape Charlie’s wrath, he has a considerable amount of repenting to do – and he hasn’t even started.

The way she’s going about getting what she wants is a little on the scary side. Over the past season we saw her evolve from essentially a naive, small-town girl who has been sheltered from the outside world, to a heroic threat to anyone that stands in her way. This is not exactly the world where young women tend to go traipsing around on solo missions unless they have some kind of edge. Charlie’s intense motivation is compelling her toward Monroe, and she isn’t ready to go down without taking him with her. Whoever intervened in her plan to take him out has just made an enemy that’s they’ve already underestimated.

Of all the character, Charlie tends to be the one motivated by passion over logic. That doesn’t mean she isn’t tactical in her approach to getting what she wants, but she also doesn’t wait for it to come to her. She’s very pro-active and sometimes acts without completely considering all the consequences. Although she’s a really strong female character, she tends to work better with back-up. This might just be a result of the world that Revolution has created, but I’d like to see her team up with a partner, for a stronger impact.

Season two of Revolution isn’t wasting any time with the formalities. We’ve already been reintroduced to all the characters (that matter), and thrown right into the thick of things. Everyone may have made it through this episode, barely, but if we’ve retained anything from the show thus far, it’s that no one is really safe.

Did you tune in to see Revolution return in all its patriotic glory? If so, let us know what your thoughts and theories about this episode are in the comment section below!